Unintended - Page 62

I turned on the shower, waiting for it to warm up before I took off my clothes and stepped under the spray.

Ash and I were supposed to be going ice skating in Manchester. It was something else on my to-do list, and his, and then we were going to go somewhere for lunch before hanging out at mine for a while and then going out for dinner with my mum, Keely and Nick at one of my favourite restaurants. I didn’t feel like doing any of it anymore.

My body moved on auto-pilot as I soaped myself up then washed my hair. It was like my brain couldn’t work out what to do with this new information. I could feel myself panicking deep inside, but on the surface, all I was thinking about was how to get through this one day.

Once I was dressed, hair dry and some make-up on to cover my pale skin and the fact that I’d been crying, I went downstairs to the kitchen. I’d already had some coffee and… Christ. I’d have to give up coffee again.

Pretty sure I could still eat bacon though, so I grabbed some from the fridge and put it in the frying pan. While I waited for it to cook, I buttered some bread, and then I cast my eyes over my kitchen table. There was a pile of birthday cards waiting for me from friends, family, and clients. I was planning to open them while I waited for Ash, but what the hell was I celebrating now?

I. Was. Pregnant.

At thirty.

Pregnant and alone.

Not alone alone. I had good friends and my mum, but… as a parent living with a child, I would be alone.

What the hell was I going to tell Jay? ‘Hey, remember that quickie we had at New Year? Well, now I’m carrying your baby. Again. Okay, bye!’

I wasn’t sure what I did from the time I finished eating to the time Ash knocked on the door, but I guessed since there were no dishes lying around anywhere, I’d washed up and put everything away. I didn’t have much memory of doing so, though.

Ash had a huge smile on his face when I opened the door. In his hands, he carried a huge silver helium balloon with the number thirty on it in pink, and a gift bag which I could see was full of wrapped presents and a card.

He’d made so much effort. He’d even had a bit of a haircut and his beard was shaved closer to his face.

When his eyes fell on me, the smile dropped. “Evie, what’s wrong?”

“I… I don’t… I can’t…”

Ash stepped inside, closing the door behind him and placing the weighted balloon and bag down in the hallway.

My chest hurt, and I placed my hands over it, trying to take in some breaths to slow my racing pulse. Ash wrapped his arms around me and held me against him.

“Turning thirty isn’t that bad, is it?” he asked, and in spite of everything, I chuckled.

“It’s not supposed to be,” I mumbled against his chest, holding onto him tightly. “But somehow, it is.”

“That’s not what’s wrong though,” he said, his chin resting on my head, reading me so accurately. “So, what is it?”

“I don’t think I can say it,” I told him. “Not yet.”

Carefully, he pushed me back a little so he could look at me, concern in his eyes. “Evie, what’s happened? Talk to me.”

I nodded. “I will. I just… I need a minute.”

“Okay.” Ash gave me a small smile. “Can I say Happy Birthday now?”

Again, I chuckled. “You can.”

He turned around and picked up the balloon and gift bag and handed them to me. “Happy Birthday, Evie.”

“Thank you.”

I took them from him and we went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. I placed the gifts down on the floor again, but I couldn’t stop looking at that balloon. It bobbed up and down, the number thirty dancing in front of my eyes.

Thirty-year-old single mum.

Fuck.

Tags: Kyra Lennon Romance
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